HIV specialist training available for nurse practitioners

(HealthDay)—A new curriculum with specialized HIV training has been developed for nurse practitioners (NPs) at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHUSON).

Noting that patient outcomes are similar for HIV patients who receive care from a NP or a physician, the JHUSON has developed a new curriculum with a specialized training program option for NPs. The curriculum is expected to launch with 10 to 12 students enrolled.

The curriculum development is being funded by a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The training module was placed in the NP degree program in response to current HIV care trends, which show that more care is moving out of specialized clinics and into primary care settings. The curriculum also extends the length of the field placement to one year. Students will be working in one of 20 sites, mainly in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. A key element involves sensitivity training that encourages students to identify preconceptions about the patient populations that they will be serving.

"The design of our program starts with the recognition that HIV care cannot be provided in a silo, that it needs to be integrated holistically into primary care," Jason Farley, Ph.D., M.P.H., developer of the curriculum, said in a statement. "We want our students to get this training right at the same time they're getting their advanced training in primary care."

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